Quitting smoking

Important News For Fathers Who Smoke

We all know that it’s dangerous for a woman to smoke when she’s pregnant.

But it’s also dangerous if a pregnant woman who doesn’t smoke, has a partner who does. She will be breathing in tobacco smoke. This is called passive smoking.

Why is passive smoking dangerous for babies?

A pregnant woman provides all the food a baby needs during the pregnancy. Everything she eats, drinks and breathes, including tobacco smoke, affects her and the baby.

The more time a pregnant woman spends with a smoker, the more smoke she inhales. The baby is not protected from smoke in the mother’s womb.

Smoking around a pregnant woman may

• affect the baby’s growth
• damages development of the baby’s lungs
• increases the risk of asthma
• increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

After the baby is born, passive smoke exposure also increases the risk of SIDS and asthma.

What can you do?

If you smoke and your partner is pregnant, you can do something.

First of all, think about quitting – for yourself and your family. Reading this brochure is a good start. When you’re ready there is help available.

If you don’t feel ready to quit, you can still help to protect your baby by not smoking inside your home or car, or around your partner. It is also important that after the birth, you do not smoke near your baby.

What if your partner smokes too?

If your partner smokes and is pregnant you should encourages her to quit. You can have a big influence on her. It’s important that she quits smoking for herself and the baby.

If you smoke it will make it harder for her to quit, so you may want to give her some moral support and give up too. If not, try to smoke outside and don’t leave your cigarettes where she can easily find them. Give her the best chance to succeed.

Quitting – What’s in it for you?

• Your help will improve and you will have more energy to keep up with your kids.
• You reduce the risk of getting sick from asthma, cancer, heart disease and other illnesses.
• You will have more money. If you used to smoke 20 cigarettes a day, you will save around $2,550 in a year.

Cutting down

If you don’t feel ready to quit at the moment, you should at least consider cutting down the number of cigarettes you smoke.

• Try to delay having your first cigarette of the day
• Don’t smoke inside your home or near the baby - choose a suitable spot outside to smoke
• Try to smoke one less cigarette each day
• Try not smoking at certain times of the day.

This could be the start of you quitting for good.

For advice or practical help to quit, call the Quitline on 131 848 (country callers can toll-free 1800 198 024) or speak to your midwife or antenatal educator.